George Brant's "Elephant's Graveyard Opens MTSU Theater

Tennessee students will depict a tragic and confusing moment in Tennessee history when MTSU Theatre and Dance opens its 2012-13 season Wednesday, Oct. 3, with George Brant’s “Elephant’s Graveyard.”

Directed by Dr. Crosby Hunt with movement by Professor Kim Neal Nofsinger, “Elephant’s Graveyard” will feature a cast of 13 students from across the state in performances set Oct. 3-6 and Oct. 10-12 in the Studio Theatre inside the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Auditorium.

“Elephant’s Graveyard” makes use of historical facts and folklore to investigate the story of Mary, an elephant who was put to death by hanging in World War I-era Erwin, Tenn., after killing her trainer.

Dating back to 1916, Brant’s play, which earned the 2008 Keene Prize for Literature, mixes humor and tragedy to explore the conflict between a small town and the laborers in a traveling circus act.

“I like that it’s in the studio (theatre) because it’s very small and intimate,” Hunt said. “It’s an interesting read, and it’s a different kind of play. Everyone tells their own version of the story, so they don’t really have scenes. It’s altogether just a good story.”

The show’s running time is about 75 minutes. Curtain time is 7:30 each evening, and there also will be a single matinee performance at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7.

General admission tickets are $10 each, and tickets for students in kindergarten through 12th grades are $5 each. MTSU students with valid IDs will be admitted free.

Seating is limited to 100 people per performance, and tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The box office will open one hour before each show, and the theatre will open for seating 30 minutes before curtain time. The box office will close promptly when each show begins, and no tickets will be sold during the shows.